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29 Also Job added, taking his parable, and said, (And Job added again to his parable, and said,)

Who giveth to me, that I be beside the eld months, by the days in which God kept me? (Who giveth to me, that once more I be, like in the months gone by, yea, those days in which God looked after me?)

When his lantern shined on mine head, and I went in darknesses at his light (and I walked through the darkness by his light).

As I was in the days of my youth, when in private God was in my tabernacle (when privately, or secretly, God watched over my tent, or my home).

When Almighty God was with me, and my children were in my compass (and my children were all about me);

when I washed my feet in butter, and the stone shedded out to me the streams of oil; [(when I washed my feet with butter, and the stone poured out for me rivers of oil;)]

when I went forth to the gate of the city, and in the street they made ready a chair to me (and in the street they prepared a chair for me).

Young wanton men saw me, and were hid, and eld men rising up stood (and old men rose, and stood up to honour me);

princes ceased to speak, and they putted their finger on their mouth; (leaders ceased to speak, and they covered their mouths with their hands;)

10 dukes refrained their voice, and their tongue cleaved to their throat. (rulers refrained their voices, and their tongues cleaved to the roofs of their mouths.)

11 The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, yielded witnessing to me (bare witness for me/testified for me);

12 for I delivered the poor man crying [out], and the fatherless child, that had no helper. (for I saved the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless child who had no helper.)

13 The blessing of a man (who was ready) to perish came (up)on me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.

14 I was clothed with rightfulness; and I clothed me as with a cloak, and with my doom a diadem. (I was clothed in righteousness, yea, it covered me; and my judgement was like a robe, and a crown.)

15 I was eye to a blind man, and foot to a crooked man. (I was an eye for the blind, and feet for the lame.)

16 I was a father of poor men; and I inquired most diligently the cause, which I knew not. (I was a father to the poor; and I inquired most diligently into their case, or their trouble, of which I knew not.)

17 I all-brake the great teeth of the wicked man (I broke the teeth of the wicked), and I took away the prey from his teeth.

18 And I said, I shall die in my nest; and as a palm tree I shall multiply my days (and my days shall be numbered like the sand/like the phoenix).

19 My root is opened beside (the) waters, and dew shall dwell in my reaping (and dew shall stay on my branches).

20 My glory shall ever[more] be renewed (My glory shall be renewed forevermore), and my bow shall be restored in mine hand.

21 They, that heard me, abided my sentence; and they were attentive, or taking heed to me, and they were still at my counsel. (They, who heard me, waited for my pronouncement; and they were attentive, or taking heed to me, and they listened to what I said.)

22 They durst nothing add to my words (They dared add nothing to my words); and my speech dropped upon them.

23 They abided me as (for the) rain; and they opened their mouth as to the soft rain coming late. (They waited for my words like for they waited for the rain; and they opened their mouths to drink them in, like the soft rain that cometh late.)

24 If any time I laughed to them, they believed not; and the light of my cheer, that is, the gladness of my face, felled not down into the earth. (When I smiled on them, they took heart; and the light of my face, that is, the cheerfulness in my face towards them, encouraged them.)

25 If I would go to them, I sat the first; and when I sat as [a] king, while the host stood about, nevertheless I was [the] comforter of them that mourned. (When I went to them, I was the first to sit; and when I sat like a king, while his army stood all around, I was the comforter of those who mourned.)

Job’s Final Defense

29 Job continued his discourse:(A)

“How I long for the months gone by,(B)
    for the days when God watched over me,(C)
when his lamp shone on my head
    and by his light I walked through darkness!(D)
Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
    when God’s intimate friendship(E) blessed my house,(F)
when the Almighty was still with me
    and my children(G) were around me,(H)
when my path was drenched with cream(I)
    and the rock(J) poured out for me streams of olive oil.(K)

“When I went to the gate(L) of the city
    and took my seat in the public square,
the young men saw me and stepped aside(M)
    and the old men rose to their feet;(N)
the chief men refrained from speaking(O)
    and covered their mouths with their hands;(P)
10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,(Q)
    and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.(R)
11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
    and those who saw me commended me,(S)
12 because I rescued the poor(T) who cried for help,
    and the fatherless(U) who had none to assist them.(V)
13 The one who was dying blessed me;(W)
    I made the widow’s(X) heart sing.
14 I put on righteousness(Y) as my clothing;
    justice was my robe and my turban.(Z)
15 I was eyes(AA) to the blind
    and feet to the lame.(AB)
16 I was a father to the needy;(AC)
    I took up the case(AD) of the stranger.(AE)
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked
    and snatched the victims(AF) from their teeth.(AG)

18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,
    my days as numerous as the grains of sand.(AH)
19 My roots will reach to the water,(AI)
    and the dew will lie all night on my branches.(AJ)
20 My glory will not fade;(AK)
    the bow(AL) will be ever new in my hand.’(AM)

21 “People listened to me expectantly,
    waiting in silence for my counsel.(AN)
22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;(AO)
    my words fell gently on their ears.(AP)
23 They waited for me as for showers
    and drank in my words as the spring rain.(AQ)
24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
    the light of my face(AR) was precious to them.[a](AS)
25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;(AT)
    I dwelt as a king(AU) among his troops;
    I was like one who comforts mourners.(AV)

Footnotes

  1. Job 29:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

29 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.